Good Bad Girl Chapter 27: Patience
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Chapter 27 opens with Patience observing raised voices in the gallery below. She sees Edith walking away from Covent Garden toward the river with her dog Dickens. Patience reflects on missing her old life on the water. She has packed most of her belongings, including almost all of her papercuts, but leaves behind one of a black fox she calls Bad Luck—a piece meant for Jude Kennedy as a parting gesture.
From a hiding place under her bed, Patience retrieves a Japanese tea tin filled with cash. She has saved nearly £5,000 from her care home salary, plus petty cash taken from Joy’s office after being fired. She plans to take Edith to an undisclosed location today and receive another payment, enough to rent a riverside studio and fund a year at art school. She feels guilt but insists the events weren’t her fault.
Hearing footsteps on the attic stairs, Patience expects Edith’s return but instead finds Jude Kennedy with a woman she recognizes—Clio. They confront her. Jude accuses Patience of stealing their mother’s money and tricking Edith into changing her will. Clio snatches Patience’s purse, finds Edith’s bank card inside, and notices the ladybug ring on Patience’s finger. Clio grows visibly distressed but insists she believed Patience could be trusted. Jude admits he has already called the police, despite previously agreeing to wait. Patience denies everything, then grabs her bag and cash and tries to flee. She races down multiple flights of stairs but at the bottom encounters two police officers and a woman with pink hair, who smiles and says, “Hello, suspect number three.”
Key Events
- Patience leaves the Bad Luck papercut for Jude to find.
- She counts her savings—nearly £5,000—and plans to take Edith somewhere in exchange for more money.
- Jude and Clio burst into her attic room and confront her.
- Clio finds Edith’s bank card in Patience’s purse and sees the ladybug ring.
- Jude calls the police without Clio’s agreement.
- Patience attempts to escape but is blocked by officers and a mysterious woman who labels her “suspect number three.”
Character Development
Patience shows both vulnerability and resolve. She feels guilt over past events but rationalizes her actions as necessary for her future. When cornered, she finds her voice to defend herself briefly, then panics and runs. Her choice to leave the Bad Luck papercut suggests she still holds a grudge toward Jude, even as she glimpses the possibility of a fresh start.
Jude Kennedy emerges as aggressive and vindictive. He refuses to listen to Patience’s side and weaponizes his accusations—theft, manipulation of the will, even kidnapping. His unilateral decision to call the police reveals a controlling nature and a willingness to escalate conflict.
Clio appears torn. She confronts Patience with visible shock and sadness rather than anger. Her reaction to the ladybug ring (which likely belonged to Edith) deflates her, suggesting deep emotional attachment. She tries to prevent Jude from calling the police, indicating she may doubt Patience’s guilt or hope for a quieter resolution.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Papercuts as omens: The black-fox papercut Patience leaves behind represents bad luck, linking Jude to misfortune. It echoes the earlier motif of her mother’s superstition about black foxes.
- The ladybug ring: Likely a personal token from Edith, its presence on Patience’s finger suggests a bond that Clio finds painful or deceptive.
- Escape versus entrapment: Patience’s planned departure (a safe flat, art school) is shattered by the arrival of her accusers and the police, turning her attic sanctuary into a trap.
- The counting of money: Patience’s careful savings contrasts with the accusation of theft, highlighting the ambiguity of her true relationship with Edith.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter brings the confrontation between Patience and Edith’s children to a head. Accusations of financial exploitation, will tampering, and kidnapping raise the stakes dramatically. Jude’s readiness to call the police forces the mystery into official hands. The cliffhanger appearance of a woman with pink hair—who calls Patience “suspect number three”—suggests a wider net of suspects and a possible link to earlier plot threads. It shifts the narrative from personal conflict to a formal investigation, setting up the final act.
Study Questions & Answers
1. Why does Patience leave the Bad Luck papercut for Jude?
She associates the black fox with him, perhaps because he brought difficulty into her life. Leaving it is a symbolic act of revenge or a wish for his future misfortune.
2. What evidence do Jude and Clio have against Patience?
They find Edith’s bank card in her purse and see her wearing what appears to be Edith’s ladybug ring. Jude also claims she tricked Edith into changing her will, though no document is shown.
3. Who is the woman with pink hair who greets Patience at the bottom of the stairs?
She is not identified in this chapter. Her phrase “suspect number three” indicates an ongoing investigation, possibly connected to another crime or missing person case.